Chapter 43

The sound from the crowd was deafening. Everyone was ready for the show to top all shows. Gennie and the Rzeznik sisters and a few other assorted relatives shuffled into their seats just moments before their boys took the stage. The anticipation was invigorating, but Gen also viewed it with a hint of melancholy. She wondered when she’d see them on stage again. She knew from past experience that it could be years. The thought that she was going home with one of them thrilled her beyond belief, but that was almost unrelated it seemed, and it still didn’t make up for the fact that they were one of her favorite bands and this was the last show she’d get to see for god knows how long. At times, when she was sitting in the audience, she was still just a fan like any of the other 15,000 people gathered to watch them along side her tonight. That is, until John would look at her with eyes that said ‘I’m glad you’re the one I’m going home with’.

 They played their hearts out tonight putting more energy into it than any show they’d done in years. Robby’s opening cries of “Hello Buffalo! I love my hometown!” got people excited and really set the stage for the evening.

 Every now and then John would interject their music with a tale from their extensive travels. He’d really become the storyteller of the group. “So y’know…” he’d say pacing the stage. “This has been the best tour we’ve ever done! We’ve played to better crowds than ever before, y’know. I mean, not that the other crowds sucked or anything,” he’d laugh. “But this time… this time, they knew who the fuck we were!”

 “Hey, aren’t you….” Robby joked with him, “Aren’t you the guys from that video… for that song?  You know…from that movie?”

 “Shit,” John laughed. “That’s exactly what it was like, too! Nobody knew our names… or even the name of the damn song for that matter. Everybody’d heard us, but nobody fuckin’ knew us!”

 “Um…” Robby stood with a hand on his hip and a finger to his mouth as if in thought. “The Go Go Girls? No… The Goo Goo Kids? Oh, that’s not right… The Girly Boys? Wait, uh… The Blowup Dolls?” The crowd was laughing at Robby’s interpretation of John’s story.

 “Dude! I know! Yeah, you laugh cause you think we’re jokin’ but that’s exactly how it was! I’m tellin’ ya!” he laughed heartily. “But we always knew we could come home to Buffalo and you guys’d love us and know who we were!”

 “It all started here, man!” Robby grinned.

 “I LOVE YOU JOHNNY!” a voice bellowed out from the sea of people.

 “Oh baby, I love you too,” he gushed and flashed a toothy grin.

 “TAKE ME HOME WITH YA!” the voice called out again.

 He was amazed that he could hear it over the din of the audience. “Well, sweetie, thanks for the offer,” he smiled while his fingers rubbed the amorously inflicted, barely concealed, raspberry colored mark on his neck. “But I’m not really on the market.” He looked at Gennie and smiled.

 She was a little surprised he’d even admitted to as much as he just did. She’d heard that he was very secretive with his relationships and never said much about them, preferring to keep things quiet and private. It was a trait she could certainly understand given the circumstances of his career, but she was definitely beaming with pride at his admission, however vague, that he was no longer available. The evening was peppered with other subtle references to her. She blushed and her fingers touched her necklace as he made eyes at her and briefly launched into a few bars of Purple Rain during one of his solos. She doubted that anyone in the audience even caught that he’d done it, it had been pretty stealthy, but she knew it was just for her anyway so it didn’t matter.

 They were scheduled to wrap it up well before eleven, but with all the talking and laughing and goofing around they didn’t leave until somewhere close to midnight! They poured everything they had into their performance and they left the stage somewhat drained. When Gen got backstage she was honored to be granted admittance to the sequestered room that they hid in for a while after the show. She was pulled aside by Dave, who had long since warmed to the idea of her being a permanent presence among the band- now that she was no longer a liability for them. “Gennie,” he grabbed her arm as she entered the room filled with people waiting for the guys to make their backstage appearance, “over here.”

 “Hey, Dave!” she said with a smile. “What’d ya want?”

 He smiled back, but said nothing and led her to the door to the private area. He quickly opened the door, shooing her through as discreetly as possible.  The last thing he needed was to be mobbed by the mass of people that had been given backstage passes for this show.

 She entered the room that was as silent as a church. The three of them and a few back up musicians whom Gennie didn’t know were casually scattered about on the comfy furniture. She was the only one in there besides them. Mike and Robby didn’t even look up, but she noticed a few looks from the new guys that let her know that they regarded her as an intruder…until John, who’d been smiling at her since she entered, held up his arm silently calling her over.

 He pulled her onto his lap. “Oh Gen,” he mumbled, resting his head on her chest. “I’m beat, totally spent.” He spoke in hushed tones befitting the silent room. He inhaled deeply, breathing in her scent, she still smelled like the perfumed bubble bath earlier in the day.

 “That was an incredible show, babe,” she whispered; her fingers twirled around in his damp hair. She knew he’d given everything he had and she sensed his need to be replenished, knowing that was why he called her in here. “Is there anything I can get you?”

 He just shook his head; his arm lay limp behind her back and another draped over her legs. He didn’t want to move.

 She quietly slid off his lap to sit beside him. He didn’t object. She put her arms around him this time as he slumped over, leaning on her shoulder. She tried to get an idea of what this must be like for him, she knew it was physically and emotionally draining but it was hard for her to switch places with him- even following them as closely as she did with the MTV thing. She did know that he liked quiet and dim light. The quiet she could give him, the dark wasn’t so easy. She searched the room from where she sat, looking for a way to tone down the lighting. Mike must have sensed what she was going for and walked over to hit the dimmer switch before going in to take a shower. She nodded her appreciation. As one by one everyone else left the room, they quietly sat alone, Gennie gently stroking John’s hair.

 “How do you always know what I want?” he asked, breaking the extended silence. “I never have to ask you.”

 It was a question she’d wondered herself sometimes. “I don’t know. I just do what seems right.”

 He smiled and kissed her tenderly. “Maybe you’re psychic, maybe you’re reading my mind,” he teased. He was perking up.  His arms reached around her playfully. “What am I thinking now?” he asked with a devilish grin.

 She thought about it for a moment. “Ahh, you’re wondering if my mascara is gonna run.”

 He looked at her blankly for a moment before his face lit up when he realized what she meant. “See, you can read my mind!”  He stood up from his seat and pulled Gen up to meet him, pressing himself close, very close. So close she could feel what he was thinking. He reached for the back of her leg and urged her wrap it around him, first one than the other before he carried her into the posh bathroom accommodations provided them. “So that mascara, is it waterproof?” he laughed. “Cause I don’t have the hots Alice Cooper, y’know.”

 She giggled, “Well, let’s just say thank god I stuck my makeup bag in the car!” She turned the deadbolt on the door as John started up the shower.

 Forty-five minutes later they emerged to a backstage area that had cleared by about half; most of whom had already left for the after party. Gen noticed a few odd looks from people who caught on that she was now sporting a slightly different hairstyle and a bit less makeup than she’d come to the show with. She found their puzzled faces amusing and laughed. “These people don’t know what to make of me, lookin’ like your harlot for the evening,” she teased him, tickling his side.

 “I’ll do my best to act like your satisfied customer,” he chuckled.

 A look of mock surprise overcame her. “You bastard! You’d better not be acting! I put a lot of effort into it.”

 They both burst out laughing, making their way through the thinning crowd.  John walked close behind her. “Ain’t new love grand?” he mumbled softly in her ear as they shuffled past fans, friends, and family on their way to the drink table. “The whole world’s your boudoir.”

 Robby approached with a couple of champagne glasses in hand. He handed one to each of them and gave them a knowing look, a smile and a shake of the head. “We were just about to leave, man.” He elbowed John in the ribs. “I thought you guys’d set up residence in there.”

 Gennie blushed visibly, glancing down at her feet. Somehow, Robby always knew what they were up to. “Are we going now?” she asked, sipping her bubbly. When they both nodded, she turned to leave through the door she entered by, the one that led to where their car was parked.

 John grabbed her arm, “No, we’re leavin’ this way,” he announced, pulling her in the opposite direction.

 “But the car…”

 His eyes shot open and he gasped, her comment made him recall an almost forgotten last thing on his to-do list. He downed the champagne, handing Gennie the empty glass. “Wait here.”

 Gen watched him briefly scout the room and then jog over to a boy, a young man of about 17 or 18. The kid smiled when he approached and introduced John to the friends he had with him. John nodded politely and said hello, but quickly got down to business. He dug in his pocket and handed the teenager his keys.  Then he set about telling him something very pointedly. The teen’s eyes never left Johns and every few moments he would nod in agreement to something he said. John placed his hand on the kid’s shoulder then addressed the whole group of boys. When he finished talking, the group looked at him and nodded. John smiled big, patted the kid on the back and took off back toward Gennie and Robby.

 “What was that all about?” Robby asked as they hightailed it out the back door.

 “Just givin’ the car keys to my nephew and his friends. Gotta get it home somehow.”

 Robby laughed. “You mean you gave them to Danny and his punk friends? Dude,” he grinned, “You are never seein’ that car in one piece again!”

 “It’s just Dan now, and I told him if he fucked it up at all I was gonna kick their asses- all of ‘em. Then I’d let his mom kick ‘em all over again!”

 Gen giggled. “Wow! You don’t mess around.”

 John raised his eyebrows and gave her one of his huge grins. “It ain’t me he’s worried about.”

 “That Gladdy’s a badass,” Robby chuckled. He held the door to their ‘limo’ open letting John and Gennie in first, then his girlfriend. “She could put the fear of god in a fuckin’ atheist,” he laughed, as he climbed into the Toyota LandCruiser with the dark tinted windows and shut the door.

 As they rolled out of the parking lot on their way to the after party John crept forward to the stocked bar. “Ya want a beer, a drink, anything?” he asked them.

 Gennie looked surprised. “There’s a bar in here? This is like a real limo?”

 “Damn straight,” he grinned. “See, I hate those regular limos. Too glam. Everybody’s watchin’ ya and shit. But ya get one a’ these,” he nodded, looking around at what his riches could purchase him. “Get one of these and nobody looks twice.”

 “Sounds like you’re ready to commit the perfect crime, to me,” she chuckled.

 John handed a beer to Robby. “Nah, that ain’t it. Limos are just too damn pretentious. I mean, what the hell?  This is Buffalo, not fuckin’ Beverly Hills, y’know.”

 Gen took a bottle as well. “Yeah, but you’re still livin’ pretty damn large here,” she commented shaking her head. “You’re not fooling anyone! You’re a rich guy who doesn’t wanna look rich, if you ask me. I was ready to take the car.”

 Robby laughed, but Gen could tell that what she’d said had bothered John. She wasn’t trying to be mean, but she had to admit she was being brutally honest. He sat beside her drinking his beer and some would say, sulking.

 Evidently, Robby picked up on his friends’ wounded ego. “Dude, what’s your problem? She’s fucking right! They don’t call this the city of no illusions for nothing, you know.”

 Gennie rolled her eyes at John. “So you’re pouting about this? Gimme a break! You’re a pretty genuine person, y’know. You’ve gotta see this for what it is, right?”

 He looked at Robby who was now involved in a conversation with his girlfriend about something outside the window. Glancing back at Gennie he gave her an apprehensive smile. Ever since that first night out with her, she’d seen through his crap, and told him so. It was one of the things he appreciated most about her, but it was also the thing that hit closest to home and made him reevaluate his own image of himself. “I know you’re right,” he spoke quietly, leaning close. “I love that you see past all this, y’know, but I gotta say it amazes me sometimes. I mean, shit, I’m still dazzled by it at times.”

  She sighed, “Johnny, I don’t care what we’re riding in. I think it’s cute that you’re still impressed with this. That means it hasn’t affected you yet and that makes me way happier than riding in a stupid limo.”

 He emptied his beer bottle and went for another. “Cute? That’s a little patronizing, isn’t it? You really think this is stupid?” 

 She thought he seemed a little overly annoyed with her. To be honest, his attitude concerning this matter was on the verge of pissing her off too. Like he was being some kind of blue-collar prima donna, a wannabe one at that. She scooted closer to the door giving herself some distance, however slight and stared out the window into the night. ”Yeah, I think it’s stupid,” she groaned, then added under her breath, “Almost as stupid as you’re acting right now.” She wished he would just get comfortable being who he was. She figured his head had swelled a little too much with all the adulation at their final show. The rock star she was beginning to loathe was rearing his self-absorbed head.

 “Whatever,” he replied dismissively. He reached for a pack of cigarettes sitting nearby and lit up.

 She knew he was really ticked at her now because he usually tried not to smoke around her. He knew she didn’t like it and he was making it abundantly clear that he was doing this just to irritate her. She figured she’d say nothing, let the defiant streak run its course, and all would be well soon. 

 Robby gave Gennie a sympathetic look. He knew John better than anyone, and he could tell he was behaving miserably.  He shook his head ever so slightly indicating to her to just leave it alone right now till he cooled down.

 After several minutes of awkward silence, their ride came to a stop in front of the club they had reserved for the party. It was a place they used to play in the old days and word must have gotten out that the party was here because the sidewalk out front was teeming with fans and well wishers. Though the door facing the street was closest to him, John instinctively went for the exit that allowed him immediate access to his adoring fans, climbing over Robby in the process. Rob voiced his irritation at him, not that he noticed over all the screaming.

While Sasha touched up her lipstick, Robby patted Gen on the knee. “It’ll be ok,” he smiled reassuringly. “He’s an ass sometimes after important shows. Ya just gotta give him his space.”

“Gladly.”

“It’s just hard for him to come down from it, see.” He leaned closer to her, as the screams got louder outside. “If you want the truth, it comes from his insecurity. He’s afraid of losing it, y’know…all that.” He bobbed his head at the crowd outside the window. “So just don’t think he’s really such a prick, cause he’s not. Don’t take it personally,” he grinned as he slid toward the door on his way out, “He’s an equal opportunity asshole.”

“Thanks,” she smiled back unenthusiastically.

“Come,” Sasha said, pointing to Gen’s door. “We’ll go out this way.”  She stood in the street for a brief moment smoothing the wrinkles from her dress. “Please don’t let this ruin your evening. We’ll have fun. He’ll get over it.”

They walked around the vehicle and glided past without being noticed while John and Robby worked the crowd that had stayed out to see them at this late hour. The two women entered a room filled with people, most of whom they’d never seen before. The loud music and jovial atmosphere seemed to perk Gen up considerably. They took a seat at a comfy booth that looked like it was set up for the guys to call home base for the evening. They scoped out the crowd for a while before Gen announced,  “I don’t know about you, but I’m planning on celebrating my last night in Buffalo. Would you like something to drink?” she asked getting up from her seat.

“A glass of wine would be wonderful- if you’re going up there.  White, please.”

 “Be right back!”

 Gennie made her way to the bar. She was not about to let John’s pissy attitude get the best of her. She ordered their drinks- a glass of wine for Sasha and a pitcher of margaritas for herself. ‘Hell, the asshole is paying for it, why not?’ she thought to herself with a guilty chuckle. While she was waiting for the bartender to mix the pitcher, Kate bounded up to her.  It was obvious she’d been here a while and had gotten a head start on Gennie.

 “Gennie!  I thought you’d never get here!” she called out throwing her arm around Gen’s shoulder, in the overly familiar inebriated way that drinking buddies do.

 “Hey Kate. I see you’re having fun already.”

 “Yep!” she grinned. “Where’s my little brother?”

 Gen rolled her eyes. “Hell if I know,” she shrugged. “I assume he’s still outside milking it for all it’s worth.”

 Kate had a look of surprise. “You don’t sound happy. What’d he do now?”

 “Aw, he’s just being…”

 Just then the door opened and the sound of screaming girls permeated the room. Everyone looked up to see John stumble in with a girl on each arm and a half empty bottle of vodka in his hand. Gen wondered when he’d had time to guzzle that much alcohol. They’d only gotten here a short time before, but it was obvious that he’d been hitting it hard. Robby came in behind him and looked pretty agitated. Kate looked with concern at Gennie who stood there, wide-eyed and visibly angry.

 “Why that little bastard!” Kate remarked with a look of astonishment.

 “C’mon Kate, I’ve got a pitcher of Maggies, so let’s drink up!” She pulled her back to their table. Sasha had moved to another table having spotted someone she knew. Gen and Kate each poured themselves a tall drink and decided to have a great time despite how shitty the evening was going for her over the last hour or so.

 It wasn’t long before Robby walked up and took a seat by Gennie. “Hey Kate,” he nodded and smiled uncomfortably. “Gen, I’ve gotta talk to you.”

 “Robby, you’re such a sweetheart, but it’s my jackass boyfriend who needs to talk to me right now.” She took a long pull from margarita number two.

 “Yeah, um….well, he’s just doing this cause…. you heard what I said earlier. He’s really feeling like shit, I know he is. He’s really nervous.” He fidgeted trying to conceal that last part. “It’s hard for me to explain what it’s like for him. Hell, I don’t totally know myself.”

 She looked at Kate for confirmation on what Robby was telling her. She gave no indication other than that she was about ready to take her brother outside and give him what for. “Um, Rob, how did he get so plastered so quickly?”

 “Uh…” he fiddled with the table decoration, avoiding eye contact. “It was a… sorta gift from a fan, I guess.”

 “They gave him a bottle of booze?”

 He looked at her with raised brows, “Oh, c’mon, Gen. You’ve seen the weird shit we get from people.”

 “And he drank it that quickly?”

 This time Kate gave her the odd look. “You’d be surprised how much he can drink.”

 “Wait, this isn’t about the drinking. I fully expected he would…we would both get plowed tonight.” She took a deep breath and another big gulp from her glass and refilled it. “Robby, who are those girls he’s with?”

 “Aaah, they’re harmless. I think. They’re just a couple of fans. Makin’ their dreams come true, I suppose.” He chuckled. “Little do they realize that he’s the one livin’ the dream at the moment.” He glanced over to the bar where John stood flirting with the two beautiful young ladies who couldn’t keep their hands off of him. He was eating it up, but was concentrating just about as intently on the drink in his hand and the bottle in the other. “Gen,” he said by way of reassuring her, “I guarantee that he’s gonna behave. It looks way worse than it is. It really is you he wants to come home to. Trust me.”

 “If it’s so harmless, then why aren’t you up there doing the same thing?” She wanted to add, ‘and man, these are some strong drinks,’ but thought better of it.

 Robby looked again at John and noticed that every now and then he’d look over at them from beneath the hair hanging in his eyes. He didn’t want them to notice, so he was doing it on the sly, but Robby knew him too well. “I’m not doing it cause I’m not him. My world is pretty well put together. I don’t have the same issues he has. In case you haven’t noticed, and I don’t see how you couldn’t, he’s probably the most insecure person I’ve ever known. He needs to constantly be told he’s all right. Wouldn’t you agree, Kate?”

 “Um, yeah. Always has been like that. I think it has something to do with being the baby.   He had way, way too much attention. Now I think he craves it!”

 “So, just have fun tonight, ok? Don’t worry about Johnny, he’s gonna be a good boy… I’ll keep an eye on him to make sure of that. And,” he leaned closer to Gennie like he was letting her in on a secret, “You see him over there?”

 Gen nodded, but didn’t particularly want to look.

 “He knows I’m over here telling you this.”

 “He told you to do this? Why didn’t he…”

 “No, no.” He cut her off.  “He knows me. And he knows I know him. Believe me, if he wanted to get away with something, he wouldn’t be standing in plain view of his girlfriend. He may be shitfaced, but he’s not an idiot.”

 Gen smiled. Robby was always coming to John’s rescue when it came to her. He made what looked insurmountable seem like inconsequential stuff when he was through with it. She hugged him. “Thanks Robby. You’re so nice to me. Hell, you’re so nice to my beloved piece of shit boyfriend, that he doesn’t deserve you.”

 He kissed her on the forehead. “Now have fun Gen and don’t let him get to you. He’s just trying to live his rock n’ roll dream for a little while here. Those girls ain’t getting shit from him though. You’re the only one and he knows it.”  He pushed back his chair and was off to grab Sasha and mingle with the crowd.

 Gennie picked up the dwindling pitcher, refilled her glass and topped off Kate’s. “Whaddaya say, Kate?” she slurred teasingly, “Do I buy that line a’ crap about your brother?”

 Kate was about as tanked as anyone in the place, but still she could tell that despite Gen’s joking about it, she was still uncertain where she stood with John. “Sweetie, I’d love to tell you he’s the greatest guy on earth, but we both know that ain’t true. I will tell ya one thing though- he’s not bad. I know he’s nuts about you.” She tossed her arm around Gen’s shoulder, “Rob knows him probably better than I do now, and I think he’s got him pegged.” She took a big swig from her glass and topped it off, emptying the pitcher. “But if it’s all the same to you,” she got up from her seat, taking the pitcher in hand and starting for the bar, “I’m gonna go over there right now and kick his weenie rock star ass!”

 Gen giggled uncontrollably as Kate started to stumble to the bar. “Wait, Katie, darlin’ don’t do that! I don’t want you to get hurt…then who’d drink with me?” she asked in a fit of laughter.

 Kate spun around, almost losing her footing on the heels she was wearing.  “Nooo, nooo Gennie,” she giggled. “Shhh.” She placed a finger to her lips. “I’ll be Ok!  If he gives me any trouble….” She squinted her eyes to a distant corner of the room. “Gladdy’s right over there.  Don’t worry.  I know for a fact that between her and me….” Her giggling was starting to make her sides hurt. “We can take him down!”

 Gen watched as Kate made her way to the bartender to get a refill. She was still laughing when she saw how she glared at her brother. She watched her slowly move a little closer, inch by inch, at the crowded bar until she was standing directly behind him.  Gen wondered what was next.

 Kate knew that she’d have to do something subtly, she couldn’t very well have a knock down drag out right here with her brother, even though that’s what she wanted to do. He was behaving like a spoiled little brat and she wanted to take him down a notch. The bartender turned around with the replenished pitcher in hand and looked for Kate where she’d been standing only moments ago.  She waived her hand to get his attention from her spot a few feet from where she started. She reached out her hand to grab it from him and he gave her an uncertain look, but floated the pitcher over to her extended hand. ‘Stupid boy…didn’t even notice’ she thought to herself. She took the pitcher from the bartender and then acting as though she was surprised by its weight, her arm gave out and clocked her little brother squarely on the head with the heavy glass receptacle.

 “Oops, sorry sir!” she gushed. She pretended like she had no clue who he was. She thought that would piss him off even more than the knot on his head. General pandemonium ensued between the two ladies with him and a few assorted others who’d gathered around and gotten splashed. When she reached over his shoulder to pick up some napkins she mumbled in his ear, “You deserved it, ya little bastard.” She topped it off with a swift bonk of her elbow against the side of his head. “Oh, geez, I’m really sorry mister!” she smiled innocently and backed away. She returned to the table triumphant and with a still mostly full pitcher of margaritas.

 Gen was doubled over in a fit of hysterical laughter. “God, Kate, that was classic!”

 Kate bowed theatrically, then refilled their glasses. John turned to glare at her, rubbing the bump on his head, he could tell they both found the ordeal humorous. He had to admit she was pretty crafty; he just didn’t appreciate being on the receiving end of the joke. Kate affixed a Rzeznik grin, raised an eyebrow, lifted her glass and flipped him the bird.

 Gennie’s smiling eyes darted back and forth between the feuding siblings. She’d almost forgotten that she was at the center of their animosity. Her eyes briefly met with John’s but he quickly looked away. It didn’t take much for her to know what he was thinking. “Robby must be right. He’s feeling guilty for being a shit heel.”

 “Well, I hope I knocked some sense into him,” Kate exclaimed proudly.

 Gen giggled. “I don’t care whether you did or not. That was priceless!”

 Kate suddenly got serious. “Gennie, this isn’t going to ruin things between you, is it?” She looked at her hopefully. “Cause we love you. We don’t want you to disappear like all the others.”

 “Well, as far as I know, I’ll still be around,” she smiled. “I don’t think he can get rid of me that easy. Provided he still remembers me after that blunt head trauma. Besides, he still owes me a trip to the falls.”

 “But…but…” she stuttered, patting Gennie on the hand, “I wanna make sure everything is good here. He’s not perfect, but we love him. I hope you do too. My little brother needs a nice girl. He’s got plenty of …of them,” she flicked her wrist at the girls fawning over him as if to shoo them away like flies. She was getting that irritated look again. “He needs to get his ass over here and tell you he’s sorry for being a jerk. He doesn’t need those chicks!”

 A sympathetic smile fell over Gen’s drunken countenance, as she became a sort of barstool philosopher.  “Oh Kate,” she sighed.  “Yes he does. He thinks he does anyway and it’s not hurting anything. He’s not done playing rock star yet. I’ll let him be.” She noticed Kate staring at her with surprised eyes and an open mouth. “Well?  What?” she asked quizzically. “If I’m gonna be around for a while, I’d better get used to it, right?”

 Kate was amazed by her casual attitude to having women draped all over her boyfriend. “But why would you want to? I mean, aren’t you at all jealous?”

 “Aah, jealousy is really a waste of time and energy. I trust him. That’s all there is to it.”

 “But…” she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She thought Gennie should fight for her man, she figured with Gen’s independent, free spirited nature; she would put up more of a fight. “I never pegged you for one of those ‘stand by your man’ types.”

 “Shit! Thank god, cause I’m not! But I do trust him. And until he gives me a reason to think otherwise, he’s safe, y’know. No harm, no foul.” She tried to think of a better way to put it. “You know how lots of great jobs have their bad points? Firefighters deal with fire, cops deal with criminals, hell, butchers have to deal with innards, y’know.  So this is what I’m thinkin’…the girls…they’re an occupational hazard. It’s part of the job. Just like those other jobs…if there’re no girls…. there’s no job. See?”

 “Oh my god! You’re the only person I know who thinks more clearly when they’re hammered,” she chuckled.

 They knocked back a few more drinks, before Kate excused herself for the ladies room.

“Thanks a lot, dumbass,” she heard as she was coming back out the door. She spun around to look at him. He had a red knot on his forehead just above his left temple. Apparently, she’d really beaned him good.

 “C’mere, sweetie. Let me look at that.”

 He was reluctant to let his assailant any closer to his wound, but eventually gave in to her mothering. He gasped when she poked at it a little harder than she’d planned. “Ouch!”

 “It’s still tender. You ought to get some ice on that; it’ll bring down the swelling.”

 “What the fuck were you thinking?” he whined when he was confident that she wouldn’t hurt him any more.

 She eyed him knowingly. “You know exactly why I did it! And I’d do it again, ya dirtbag. Why’d you do that to her?”

 “Shit, I haven’t done anything!” he could tell by her expression that she knew he didn’t believe a word he was saying.

 “Yeah, right. You have the most fantastic girl, and she’s sittin’ out there, puttin’ up with your shit and if you don’t marry her, I’m gonna knock your teeth out next time,” she grinned. She turned on her heel to walk away, leaving him standing there looking dazed and confused.

 When he was a kid, he’d always imagined that the bullying would stop when he grew up. Somehow, life was nothing like he’d imagined. He was just glad it wasn’t his older sisters; they probably would’ve knocked him out cold! He knew he was being a jerk, but it was like a vicious cycle he couldn’t break. “Wait! Kate!” he called to her before she got to the end of the hallway.

 She turned back wearing a thoroughly annoyed expression. “What?”

 He waved her back closer. “Is she really mad? Cause you know I’m not messin’ around on her.”

 “Johnny!” she exclaimed, “You’re being an ass! You hurt her feelings. You embarrassed her.” She poked him in the shoulder for emphasis. “And you should apologize to her. So what if you’re not messing around? You’re still treating her like shit.”

 He sighed audibly. “Kate,” he said turning his eyes to the ceiling, “I love her and I’m fuckin’ it up already. What’s wrong with me?”

 It was the same face he’d used on all his sisters when he wanted sympathy and it hadn’t changed in thirty years. But this time it was sincere. She found it hard to stay mad at him when he wanted to try so hard.  She knew he sometimes struggled to reconcile his personal life with his professional one. Noticing an open door to an office across the hall, she grabbed his elbow and pulled him in. “Look, Johnny,” she spoke directly, “I haven’t met all the girls you’ve dated.” She rolled her eyes. “Hell, I haven’t met most of the girls you’ve dated.”

 He smiled uncomfortably and chuckled uneasily, letting her know she was right.

 “But you’ve told me about lots of them. And, she’s nothing like any of the others.”

 “Yeah, um, Kate, I kinda know that.”

 “No, Johnny, you don’t.” She proceeded to tell him about the conversation she and Gennie had just had. When she was done, she turned to walk out the door. “You just think about that, little brother.”

 John stood there, dumbfounded. If what she’d said was true, he’d just been a perfect ass to the woman who was the answer to his prayers. He didn’t think a girl like this existed. He wondered which of them had had more to drink tonight because he really hoped that this wasn’t just drunken rambling on Kate’s part…or Gen’s for that matter. He glanced at his watch- 4:23 it read. He decided he’d been an asshole long enough and needed to apologize to Gennie. He hoped she’d accept it from him.

 Kate strode up to the table to find Mike sitting there. “Where’d Gennie go?” she asked.

 He pointed to the long upholstered seat against the wall. “She got a little tired, I guess.  I told her to lie down.” He looked over at her completely relaxed sleeping body. He laughed at the blissfully intoxicated smile on her face. “I guess she wasn’t joking. She fell asleep right away. Must be a good dream she’s having.”

 Glancing around the room, Kate noticed that the revelers were thinning out, but the party was still going strong for the few that remained- Robby was one of them. She looked at Mike who appeared to be pretty sleepy. “Do you have a ride home?”

 “Oh yeah. Robby said we could have the limo they hired. He didn’t think John would want it anymore.” He shrugged. “We’ll be leaving soon. How ‘bout you? You need a ride?”

 “Um, yeah.” She began searching the room for someone to get John and Gennie home. She spotted Glad and bobbed her head for her to come over. She looked really tired, but hadn’t been drinking, thankfully. “Gladdy, can you get them home?”

 “That’s why I stayed!”

 “Hey, where’d she go? She didn’t leave did she?” John asked almost frantically as he walked up.

 “Nice goin’ Johnny,” Glad taunted him as she pointed Gen out to him, “poor girl fell asleep. Some company you are!”

 “Aw, shit!” he exclaimed, running his hands over his head to clear his mind. He had so much he wanted to say to her; he’d had it all rehearsed in his head and now he’d blown it.

 “Go help her out to the car and I’ll take you guys home.”

 He hurried over to her and knelt beside her, stroking her soft cheek and pushing the hair from her eyes. “Aw Genevieve, I’m so sorry,” he whispered softly to her. “I don’t wanna hurt you. I completely fucked up. Please forgive me. Please.” He was pleading.

 Her eyes fluttered open. She wondered if he was still upset with her. Judging by the repentant look in his eyes, he’d gotten over it. “Sweetie, I’m tired. I wanna go home.” It wasn’t what she’d meant to say, but after she’d finished that last pitcher of margaritas by herself, none of her words were coming out the way she’d wanted them to.

 “I know, baby. Gladdy’s takin’ us. Can you sit up? I’ll help you out.” As he helped her up, he realized how much she must have drunk. She could barely move- the room was spinning so quickly for her. He felt bad. This was their last night and he’d fully intended to spend it with her. God, he hated himself right now.

 Though he had too much to drink himself, he fared much better than Gennie. He practically had to carry her out to the car. He placed her in the back seat where she promptly fell back asleep. He sat up front with his sister for the quiet ride home on deserted streets.

 “John, what got into you tonight?” she asked. She wasn’t being judgmental. She just wanted an answer.

 He leaned forward with his head in his hands. “I don’t know Gladdy. I don’t know. I fucked up. I just hope I can fix it.”

 “Well, you’d better! And what the hell happened to your head?”

 “Kate did it.”

 “Did you deserve it?”

 “I think so.”

 “Then I hope you learned your lesson. She’s a really nice girl Johnny. You have to treat her better than you did tonight. But I think you know that.”

 He shook his head and looked out the window trying desperately to remove himself from the asshole he’d been all evening. “God, Gladdy, I know that. I’ve never loved anyone like I love her. And she doesn’t even realize it. I don’t think I even realized it till it was pointed out to me what a treasure she is to me. I can’t lose her Glad. I can’t.”

 “Then don’t.”

 “But she hates what I do. She hates all this shit. I know she does. And then I went and just rubbed it in her face tonight.” He shook his head. “Nice one Rzeznik,” he mumbled to himself.

 “Oh, don’t be ridiculous! She doesn’t hate what you do!” she gave him an admonishing look. “Women love musicians. It’s every girls’ fantasy.”

 He chuckled, “Well, it ain’t hers.”

 “Oh, shit, John. Not even a little? If it’s so repugnant, why’s she going out with you?”

 “Oh, Ok.  Maybe a little. She doesn’t hate it. She just wishes I were normal. Hell, I wish I were normal. But you know what? Even though I know she dislikes the image part of it, y’know, she still understands it. She knows I’ve gotta be that person too, y’know?” He turned around and looked at her sleeping peacefully in the back seat. He shook his head in disbelief.  “She completely understands why I did that tonight. Isn’t that amazing? I didn’t even have to tell her. She just knows. It’s amazing! She told Kate what she thinks and she totally got it!” He practically had tears in his eyes as he looked at his sister and bared his soul to her. “God, Glad, how’d I get so fuckin’ lucky?”

 “Be glad that you realized it. Lots of people never realize it till it’s too late.”

 “Oh my god! I know! I gotta do something. There’s not much time left.”

 Glad had no idea what he was talking about, but it reminded her of their father when he used to say things like that. “What the hell are you talking about? You sound like dad.”

 He laughed when he realized that fact. “Shit, no, that’s not what I mean.  I just mean you don’t have forever, y’know. I can’t lose her.”

 “You need to tell her that.  Not me,” she urged as they pulled up to his apartment building.

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